Gurugita

Following Mohanji on this Pathless Path of our Tradition, we are blessed with quite a few experiences from time to time: some that we can perceive and some that we can’t, some experiences teach us valuable lessons while other ones transform us, and then there are yet other experiences that can only be described as mind-boggling!

I share below a few subtle experiences from the last category. I perhaps lacked clarity at the time of occurrence to interpret them, but eventually I did connect the dots. While I had been completely alert at the time of having these experiences and for sure knew them to be real, I was still a little hesitant about sharing them, a part of me wondering if they had come from imagination, or whether they were hallucinations.

It was only after a recent experience, a long and most intense one that happened during the course of an Awakening Yoga Nidra (AYN) session, that I began to connect all the dots.

I shall start with a verse from Sri Guru Gita, the supreme scripture where Lord Mahadeva himself imparts the knowledge of the Guru Principle to Devi Parvati:

He enables the mind to perceive this world, although we cannot know Him with the mind; The witness of all three states of mind – Waking, Dreaming and Deepest Sleep, I prostrate at the auspicious feet of the Guru, the remover of ignorance.

Back in 2014 during Mohanji’s visit to Virginia, USA, we had arranged for a satsang at the local Shirdi Sai Baba temple. At the end of the satsang, it was time for the evening aarati (ritual of offering light with reverence in front of an idol or murti). The temple priest requested Mohanji to conduct it and as He started performing the arati before the idol of Shirdi Sai Baba, to the soulful singing of the aarati song by the gathered devotees, I fell into a deep trance. In front of me, I no longer saw Mohanji’s physical body – all I was seeing was a huge pillar of bright effulgence. Mohanji and Sai Baba had merged together in a vertical beam of light. I was ecstatic while witnessing this divine grace.

The same year there was also a retreat with Mohanji at Yogaville in Virginia. There would be yoga sessions in the mornings, conducted by Devi Mohan and the chants during the session were being sung by Natesh. Natesh was on his guitar singing a beautiful verse on Goddess Durga. Mohanji was not physically present at the event hall, which was a few blocks away from where the retreat lodging was. As I lay down deeply relaxed in shavasana pose after the yoga session, I saw a most powerful vision of Mohanji. Though the form was physical, He was on a different plane, a thousand times brighter than the earth plane. There was no one around him. He was walking gently, as if on clouds. Though His physical form appeared the same as we see Him normally, the radiance was multi-fold. This vision lasted for a few minutes. The vision was so intense and so clear, that even by simply remembering it today, I can actually feel the experience right away.

Another unique experience that completely blew me away and still does, was one in Sedona in 2017. Sedona is well-known as an area having several powerful energy vortices. Once again, I was attending a retreat there with Mohanji. A guided meditation was to commence in the presence of Mohanji. Being one of the organizers of the retreat, I had to be seated in the front row a bit closer to Mohanji, to make myself available and alert in case anything was needed during the session. But as the session began, instead of sitting alert I somehow slipped into deep meditation. I don’t know for how long I was immersed in the peace and silence, but suddenly I felt myself going deeper and deeper, as though I were falling from high above, or one could say sinking slowly deep into the earth, all so gently that there was no fear.

Suddenly I was seeing Mohanji flying and he was pulling me up and making me fly beside him. I was out of that dark room, flying in the open in beautiful sunny Sedona surrounded by red rocks. Mohanji took me on a tour of the city. Those familiar with Harry Potter books will know what a Quidditch game is. This experience was exactly like flying mounted on a broomstick, except there was no broomstick! Mohanji was turning back and looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. It was a most exhilarating and fun-filled ride. Is this how astral travel is done? I have no idea, but I can say for sure that Mohanji took me along on some kind of travel, flying beside Him. I could see the red rocks of Sedona, there were some caves, and then finally we came to a place where there were tall buildings. After some time, I came back to awareness of my body and surrounding.

I was completely shaken. I opened my eyes to realize that the audio recording was still playing! Mohanji’s eyes were open and He was looking straight into my eyes! He indicated to me to come closer as He wanted to say something. The audio track needed to be changed during the meditation process. He said, “You were supposed to be alert and not fall into meditation. You had a job to do!” What could I say in reply? I was still reeling from the experience and somehow stumbled back to the table where the audio system was, and barely managed to find the next track to play. I have no clue what this experience was about, but know for sure that it was REAL. There was no mind play here, nor was I hallucinating. This was genuine and I am grateful to Mohanji for having nudged my skeptic mind towards the realm of spiritual possibilities.

Saturday, March 3, 2018 – Awakening Yoga Nidra session with Devi Mohan (Session was via Zoom with Devi from Serbia). This was the very first Awakening Yoga Nidra session being offered by Deviji to the Mohanji USA family. I had in the past, been fortunate to be part of Devi’s yoga sessions that included brief Yoga Nidra at the end. But I had never participated in a full-length Awakening Yoga Nidra session before. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Our Zoom session with Devi was scheduled for 11 am and hence I was fully rested and fresh. As I had no preconceived ideas or expectations about the session, I was approaching it with a very open attitude. I feel compelled to say this, because of the experience I went through during the session. I want to clarify that I was not asleep nor was I dreaming or imagining any of the visions that were to unfold.

As Devi was starting the session, I was very relaxed. In an attitude of complete surrender to Mohanji’s energy, I offered my prayers to Him and to the Guru Parampara, fully open to receive the divine blessings. During the entire hour and a half or more, I did not feel even the slightest interference from my mind. There was not a single thought distracting me. This was rather unusual for me, as even though I am normally able to experience brief periods of stillness of the mind, I can say for sure that until this experience, I had never experienced such an amazing state of non-interference of thoughts, for such an extended period of time.

As the session began, Devi began guiding us expertly through the process of bringing up various emotions, and going through these emotions and deeply embedded past experiences attached to those emotions. The session then moved to allow the participants to walk towards a holy hill. When I followed this guidance, I continued to feel a total calmness and determination in walking out and venturing forth – far, far away towards the hill. It was an intense and beautiful feeling. I approached the temple of all faiths – in my own vision it was an old deserted Shiva temple on the hill-top, and there was no one around. I was very much overwhelmed with emotion at this point and my eyes welled up with tears at the sight of Lord Mahadeva in the temple. Dissolving with love for the Lord, I offered my prayers in deep gratitude. I left the temple completely drained of emotion – but in a body that was half snake and half human (the upper part of the body was that of a snake or naga with raised hood, and the lower portion that of a young boy in a bright white dhoti and with human legs). This form was brilliant and absolutely fearless, and there was an accompanying feeling of the deepest purity and firm resolve.

I continued walking in that form. I could feel the spine of my body to be very erect and warm, literally merged with the upper form of the snake, with the hood resting on my sahasrara. But there was absolutely no feeling of fear, even with such physical closeness between the body and the hood of the naga. I kept walking with absolutely no emotion, but steadfast with determination. After passing the Ganesha shrine and offering a prayer, Mohanji appeared. Mohanji’s form looked brilliant, and was devoid of any emotion, calm and very focused. (This was the same intense form of which I had a vision, back in 2014 at Yogaville as mentioned earlier in this piece). There was no greeting or conversation. He led the way ahead while my form walked a few steps behind Him in total surrender and no other feeling. (For lack of better words, I am using the word “I”, being unsure who this being was?!)

I continued following Mohanji who walked swiftly towards a dark cave, then stopped. I was instructed to go inside. As I walked forward and got inside the cave, I could actually, physically feel the movement of my form, of this half-naga young boy, as a slithering into the cave. The cave was dark and in the center was a beautiful shiva linga – a sphatika linga, translucent blue and crystalline. It was self-luminous, illuminating the dark cave. As I circled the holy linga, its pure and calming energy completely engulfed me. When I came out of the cave, I could see Mohanji waiting outside. I continued to walk behind Him as He moved towards a dark forest. Again, there was no fear or apprehension but just a detached steadfastness, and my spine was totally erect and vibrating during this time (this I could feel in my body lying down on the mat as my spine felt rigid and very hot. I could not really sense the frame of my body, it was as though it was expanded).

I was then guided by Devi to enter the forest while Mohanji stayed behind. Even though the forest was totally dark from the very dense vegetation, I had still no sense of apprehension. I walked bravely through till Devi guided us to a ditch in the middle. We were to look inside the ditch and bring out the entities. I did not see very many entities when asked to bring them up, and I recollect that there were about three which I embraced and then let go, and proceeded to walk out of the forest. But this time as I walked out to meet Mohanji again, the half-naga/half-boy form had turned into a pillar of bright light. The light was much closer to Him as though merging, during the walk. Mohanji’s form was even brighter than before.

Even though He had a human form, it was not the Mohanji we see physically. He was a super-energized form, very intense. As I walked behind Him in that light form, the form of Mohanji disappeared as we reached the abode of Mahavatar Babaji. I could hear Mahavatar Babaji’s gayatri mantra being played on the audio system. I did not see Babaji’s form there. Mohanji’s form merged into the form of Hayagriva, seated in meditation under the tree. By then, I could not see any form of myself at all. But I could feel that I was present there. I chanted the Hayagriva mantra loudly and clearly and prostrated to the Lord.

In the subtle realm of Gyanganj, Mohanji had merged into the form of Mahavatar Babaji, and I was among a group of followers chanting the above Gayatri. There was the radiance of brilliant light everywhere. It was a very overwhelming moment. After this, Devi guided us to visualize a unicorn. However, I was simply unable to bring a unicorn into my visualization. What I saw in front of me instead was a huge peacock with a shining vel (lance) hanging by its side, the beautiful and brilliant vahana (vehicle) of Karthikeya, son of Shiva. The peacock then carried me out of that space and around the mountains to the lake.

Now at this point, a very strange thing began to happen. For the rest of the session, all my visions were occurring before Devi’s guidance came. It was like I was visualizing, and Devi was doing a running commentary of it. It was as though she was witnessing what was happening. Surreal! One of the visions of the Divine Mother Parvati overflowing with love and compassion, was very profound. As the session ended, the intensity and magnitude of what I had just had gone through, made me fall totally silent within. I was just awestruck by the experience.

I am deeply in gratitude to Mohanji for all that He has given me, and for carrying me along with Him and opening my vision to get a glimpse of me within. Mohanji had told me the first time I met him, that we are deeply connected. I am not sure I clearly understand the meaning of that connection. I have never asked him directly about it. I have been very patient in my spiritual journey. My receptivity has certainly intensified over the time and I have also deepened my sadhana. This along with the supreme grace and compassion from Mohanji has allowed me to experience this intense and beautiful connection. I am so thankful to our dear Devi whose deep devotion to the Tradition makes her a true and dedicated instrument to pour the light of grace on us.

As I recall this extraordinary vision revealed during the Awakening Yoga Nidra experience, I recognize my own ancestral connection with the deity Naga Subramanya, a form of Lord Karthikeya also known as Muruga, who is worshipped as the Lord of the Nagas. It was my forefathers who had built the temple for Naga Subramanya that still stands today in the village of Lakshmi Narayana Puram in Palakkad, Kerala, in South India. My ancestors had also been worshipping the “Vel”, symbol of Lord Muruga for generations.

Lord Muruga is the son of Mahadeva (Shiva) and Parvathi Devi. Mahavatar Babaji is known to be an avatar of Lord Muruga. Mohanji, during a satsang in Sedona, revealed his connection with Sage Bhoganathar, the Guru of Mahavatar Babaji. This vision only clarifies and confirms the connection with Mohanji, Naga Loka, Babaji and our Golden Tradition, and the grand collaboration.

It is only after seeing this vision that I went in search of a picture of our Kula Devatha (ancestral deity), Naga Subramanya, which I share above. There is the Vel and the Peacock and the Naga’s hood and the form of Subramanya as a little boy. Believe me, I had never ever seen this picture before and I feel that it is the Awakening Yoga Nidra event that has led me it. Please read Mohanji’s earlier blogs on Naga Loka and his visit to Palani and Sage Bhoganathar’s samadhi.

I end this blog with deep love and respect for my Guru, Brahmarishi Mohanji. It has been a very interesting, intense and enlightening journey and I am sure that it will continue to be so, as the mystery and meaning of spiritual connections keeps unfolding little by little. But all I wish for now, is to just remain at His Golden Feet.

Salutations to that Guru who applies the collyrium of knowledge with a sharp needle to open the eyes blinded due to ignorance (lack of spiritual knowledge).

|| JAI BRHAMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Lata Ganesh, USA.

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